Above:Birtukan Mideksa, the imprisoned leader of UDJ. (Party
spokesman Siye Abraha called on Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
to show mercy toward the charismatic 35-year-old single mom
and former judge).
Voice of America
Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa
29 December 2009
One of Ethiopia’s main opposition parties has held a candlelight vigil to mark the first anniversary of the day their leader was imprisoned for life. But the observance was marred by a split that has broken the party in two, in the year since its leader was jailed. Hundreds of opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa’s supporters jammed her Unity for Democracy and Justice Party headquarters Tuesday, wearing yellow T-shirts bearing her image, holding candles and demanding her freedom. Senior UDJ officials wore black gags to symbolize the silencing of one of Ethiopia’s most powerful opposition voices. Read more.
a great lady birtukan, i love. u r the best. i need ur email address and contact.
How do you email or contact someone who is in jail???
oh yeah, there is internet there u ddn’t know? especially in ethio jails all the inmates have facebook. lol
This is not a joking matter ppl. This brave lady deserves all our prayers. If you are true human being that’s the least you can offer her. When Nelson Mandela was in prison it is the prayer of his ppl that kept him strong and alive. In case you are wondering my screen name Invictus is inspired by Alemayehu G. Mariam’s “Birtukan, Invictus! (Unconquered)” published on Huntington Post. I have shared this on this forum before and I will share it again. You all should check out Clint Eastwood’s new movie Evictus, a true story of how newly elected President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) in the early 1990′s joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite his country that was griped by racial tension and headed for certain civil war. The poem ‘INVICTUS’ by William Ernest Henley is from which Nelson Mandela drew strength while in prison for 27 years. – Betty
ok, if it is difficult tell her that she is a lady of the century. she is a hero. every ethiopians around the worled is a part of her. she is the best among the others. but she don’t have to trust everybody.i wish one day birtucan will bring change for ethiopians. the time will come. i will pray for her. she will be released. God bless B.